Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-15
DISPOSAL OF CITY GARBAGE.

abe disposal of garbage by seavengers
in San Francisco is exciting good deal of
Interest in that city and it is now pro-
posed there to employ the method of de-
stroying refuse that has been in long and
successful operation in Leeds, England
by cremation. 1t is the only sensible svs-
TEN. The disposal of garbage gathered
in Sacramento ought to interest our peo-
pie even more deeply than the question as
applied to San Francisco does the people
of the metropolis. This city is in a warm
belt and upon plain. 1t has no tide
water into which to dump, and is perforce
compelled to place its garbage upon the
soil in the outskirts of the town. A place
so situated of all others is most impera-
lively commanded by sanitary science to
cremate the garbage and thus DESTROY all
possibility of its communicating the atmos-
phere. Thus far the city has got along
well enough, perhaps, but it is growing
rapidly and the amount of garbage for re-
moval has greatly increased in recent
years. The question of its disposal, there
fore becomes an important and pressing
one. The Improvement Association could
do good service by putting committee at
work upon the question to ascertain the
facts and make them known to the Asso-
citation. For there is no need for anv
secrecy in the matter. If, as we believe,
our garbage dumps are becoming an
offense and are altogether too near,
they ought to be abolished at once. The
city has simple, cheap and effective
remedy whenever it sees fit to apply it.
1t can burn all the garbage and utterly
eliminate any possible question of evil
concerning the present system At Leeds
town of 100000 inhabitants, six tons per
day are disposed of in single cell of the
crematory, which is simply brick fur
mace with reverberatory arch of fire
brick, and the ordinary CRATES and open-
ings for the injection of the refuse. Heat
and fire are the specific disinfectants and
purifiers. There are no other agencies to
compare with them, none at once so COM
piete and entirely effective Little or no
fuel is used in the Leeds garbage crema-
tory, the refuse and the gases furnishing
the fuel needed for most part. The garb-
age dump yields no profit to the city; on
the contrary it involves cost to make it.
and 1t centaminates the atmosphere; but
the garbage crematory is a source of some
revenue. The result of the cremation is
an ash that is highly valuable as fertil-
lzer, and parts of the result of crematiens
being combined with lime produce a
strong cement that finds ready sale, and
still other parts are useful for road-mak-
ing. The metals that pass into the crema-
tory with the garbage, when melted down.
lind ready sale fer various purposes, and
the solder from the cans is gathered and is
Il clear saving The Sanitarian a leading
journal OF sanitary science, advocated the
crematory system many years ago, and has
always adhered to it as the best ard most
economical means of disposing of city re-
fuse, while its sanitary advantages. il |
proves clearly, are beyond all question.
The very worst use that can be made of |
yard and street refuse, rejected animal |
matter and rotting vegetable matter. is to |
dump them upon the ground for the sun |
by its slow processes to dry and parch, and |
the winds to scatter abroad such of their |
particles as by drying may be thus trans |
ported, and at all times to convey from the |
dump piles the dangerous gases evolved.
and which propagate filth diseases. 1t
would cost Sacramento but a comparatively
small sum to require all garbage to be ere
mated. Wherever tried the plan has been
complete success, and there is no reason
why 1t should not be here. Every higher
economic and sanitary consideration de-
mands that the subject have attention
now, and before the city grows much more
populous.